VOLUNTEERS in Witney have taken on the challenge of providing a new day care centre to help pensioners affected by council cutbacks.

It comes after Oxfordshire County Council launched a new system of daytime support services for pensioners and people with learning disabilities across the county earlier this year.

The number of daytime support centres funded by the council is being reduced from 22 to eight, making overall savings of about £3m by 2020.

One of the new centres is in Witney, but Linda Young, who runs an independent day centre in Eynsham, said she there was still a need to help some pensioners who had been re-assessed following the changes and are now not deemed eligible to access the new centre.

Mrs Young is planning to launch a new day centre for the elderly at Ceewood Hall in Fettiplace Road, the home of Oasis Family Church.

The 57-year-old mother-of-two, who lives with husband Graeme Young, said: "I think it's a shame that there have been council cutbacks.

"We have the backing of the church and we are aiming to cater for about 35 pensioners every Thursday, from February 1.

"There is definitely a demand for this in Witney and the surrounding villages and I am sure it is going to be a success.

"It will cost £7.50 a day to join in the sessions, which will run from about 10am to 2.30pm.

"It's a shame the council system was cut back and I think it is important that we try to provide something for these pensioners, at least once a week.

"These centres can be a real lifeline for them because otherwise they might not get to see anyone all week."

Almost 900 people used the old council-funded day centres, while about 500 are expected to use the eight new centres as part of a £4.5m service, including those with a learning disability.

Mrs Young has been running the day centre in Eynsham for the past four years.

She said her centre in Witney would be run as a charity and she was applying for an 'innovation grant' from the county council.

It will offer pensioners tea and coffee, an exercise tutor and other entertainment and will be able to cater for about 35 people.

She added: "The church is being very supportive and so too is Witney's Rotary club, but we are still looking for support and donations where we can get them.

"Family members can drive pensioners to the hall and there will be a volunteer minibus driver as well for some people who are disabled."

Mrs Young said it was possible the new day centre could be run more than one day a week in future if there was sufficient demand.

Labour county councillor for Witney South and Central, Laura Price, said: "The county council-run day service in Moorland Road is a vital resource for people with the highest level of need.

"There has been a shift of focus onto people with a much higher statutory need so this new facility run by Linda will be very welcome indeed."

The county council has been working with Age UK Oxfordshire to help direct pensioners to support organisations, including local lunch clubs.

It said earlier pensioners no longer assessed as eligible to use the new council-run centres will still get some support, but it will now come from voluntary organisations not the local authority.

Age UK Oxfordshire’s Community Information Network has also worked with people who had been accessing day centres to help them find alternatives.

County council spokesman, Paul Smith, said: “There have always been huge numbers of voluntary sector providers of daytime support and the large majority of them do so without funding from the council.

"We very much welcome yet more new providers.”

Following the reorganisation, which the council said was necessary due to central Government funding cuts, new county council centres are in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Didcot, Oxford, Wallingford, Wantage and Witney.

Further details about the new centre will be released at a later date.